You might not be into pina coladas, but might love running in the rain, and if the latter drives you crazy, JBL has something that might make you seem sane.
It’s no secret that runners and athletes have different needs when it comes to earphones, because they can’t just rely on a simple pair of earphones all the time. While the earphones that came with their phone might be usable, they’re typically not made to put up with sweat or the chance of rain, because water resistance is something that is typically not catered for.
In the whole “free earphone” world (or “free with the phone”), earphones aren’t typically great, and aren’t made to deal with much moisture of any kind. If you feel that’s going to happen, such as if you sweat while running or don’t feel the need to seek cover when it’s raining, you may need to look at something else.
While there are already numerous options here, JBL is throwing its hand in with a pair of earphones aimed at people who run and exercise, with an earphone that is made for moisture of sorts.
They’re coming in the JBL Reflect Flow, a pair of earphones that cut the cords entirely like so many others these days, but do so while bringing in an IPX7 water and sweat-proof rating.
For those not quite aware, IP ratings are a verification of moisture resistance through testing with freshwater, with the last number — the “7” in this case — informing that the earphones can survive immersion of water up to one metre in depth, which essentially means water-proof for where sweat-resistance is needed, among other things.
Beyond the durability, JBL’s Reflect Flow wireless and cordless earphones sport JBL’s sound as well as a max of 30 hours of playback, finding 10 hours in the earphones plus potentially two more charges in the case with a 20 hour battery inside. If you need a little bit of juice in between full charges, the JBL Reflect Flow can get an hour out of ten minutes inside the case, useful to know if the battery is beginning to run down just a little.
There’s also support for an ambient mode on the JBL Reflect Flow, firing up the microphone to let you hear the outside world, while JBL’s “TalkThru” mode will let you talk to people while still wearing the earphones and listening to your music, basically allowing you to hear both people and tunes.
Pricing for the JBL Reflect Flow comes in at $229.95, with stores across Australia set to see them shortly.
